Belgium Awards and Decorations

The following Belgium awards were made to soldiers of the Worcestershire Regiment for gallantry or meritorious service. They are recorded in the London Gazette, indicating the granting of the award or decoration by the sovereign of Belgium, and intimating the British sovereigns permission for it to be accepted and worn by the recipient.

Ordre de la Couronne (Officer Class)

Ordre de Léopold II (Knight Class)

Croix de Guerre 1914-1918

Decoration Militaire (2nd Class)

Ordre de la Couronne (Order of the Crown) This Order was instituted on the 15th October 1897 by King Leopold II as an Order for the then Belgium Congo State, but it became a purely Belgian Order in 1908 when Belgium took over the Congo as a Colony and the Order of the African Star took its place. This Order may be conferred on those, Belgians and foreigners who have distinguished themselves by artistic, literary, scientific and military services. Military holders of the Order below the rank of officer received a yearly allowance. The Order has five classes, namely: Grand Cross, Grand Officer, Commander, Officer and Knight (Chevalier). A set of palms with two grades, gold and silver is associated with the Order as a 6th Class. There is also a medal with three grades, gold, silver and bronze. Opposite is a photo of Capt. Samuel Alwyne Gabb, O.B.E., M.C. wearing his medals. He was awarded the Ordre de la Couronne avec Croix de Guerre (Order of the Crown with the War Cross) as such you will see he wears both medals (last two on the right).   Ordre de Léopold II (Order de Leopold II) This Order was instituted on the 24th August 1900 by King Leopold II as an Order for the then Belgium Congo State, but it became a Belgian Order in 1908 when Belgium took over the Congo as a Colony. This Order may be conferred on those, Belgians and foreigners as a reward for civilian or military service to the Monarch and as a token of his personal goodwill. The Order has five classes, namely: Grand Cross, Grand Officer, Commander, Officer and Knight (Chevalier).

Capt. S. A. Gabb (later Lieut.Colonel)

The Riband of the Order is blue with a black centre. Military personnel decorated who have been mentioned in despatches during the First and Second World Wars bear a riband for the 4th and 5th Class a gold or silver palm, with an "A" for "Albert" and an "L" for "Leopold" respectively, and also, according to their achievement, a centre stripe or border in gold. Associated with the Order as a 6th Class there is a medal with three grades, gold, silver and bronze.

 

Croix de Guerre 1914-18 (War Cross)

Six months after France had instituted her Croix de Guerre, Belgium followed suit, on 25th October 1915, with a very similar decoration of the same name. Awarded to those mentioned in dispatches for acts of courage on the battlefield, or for continuous and exceptional service against the enemy.

A Royal Decree of 15th November 1917, subsequent mention in dispatches emblems were to be worn on the ribbon, either a Belgian lion motif or palm emblem with the letter 'A'. Both lion and palm emblems come in bronze, silver or silver gilt, according to the grade of the Order of the Day, ie: bronze for Regimental, silver for Divisional and silver-gilt for Division d'Armée. A further decree of 26th February 1919 amended this to a more complicated system according to the grade of the Order of the Day, using lions or palms in bronze, silver, or silver-gilt; for a mention in a Regimental Order, a bronze lion; for a Divisional Order, silver; for Division d'Armee, silver-gilt; for mention in an Army Order, a bronze palm; five bronze palms were replaced by a silver palm, while five in silver were replaced by one in silver-gilt. The same decree of 26th February 1919 also granted the Croix de Guerre avec palme to recipients of Belgian or foreign orders or decorations awarded as a result of an Army Order of the Day citation.

Other decrees authorised the award to various other categories, such as those who died of wounds, those who escaped from German prisons and rejoined their Forces, volunteers over the age of forty or under sixteen, etc. As late as September 1950, the Prince Regent authorised the award of a supplementary palm leaf to the ribbon of the 1914-18 Croix de Guerre for ex–prisoners of war, honourably captured, who had escaped and rejoined.

 

Decoration Militaire (Military Decoration)

Instituted in its present form in 1900 and amended in 1952 to allow the decoration to be awarded to officers for bravery. The Military Decoration has two divisions and each division has a 1st and 2nd class, one division for long service and seniority and the other for courage, self-sacrifice and exceptional achievement. This latter division was also awarded to Allied military personnel.

 

First World War (1918-1920)

Ordre de la Couronne (Belgian)
Surname	Forename/s	Rank	Number	Award Class	Gazette Date
Cayley, C.B., C.M.G.	Douglas Edward	Col. (T/Maj.-Gen.)	-	Commander	24/10/1919
Gabb	Samuel Alwyne	Capt.	-	Officer	24/10/1919

Note: Both Colonel Cayley and Captain Gabb were both also awarded the Croix de Guerre as part of this decoration, namely; "Ordre de la Couronne avec Croix de Guerre"

 

Ordre de Leopold II (Belgian)
Surname	Forename/s	Rank	Number	Award Class	Gazette Date
Muggeridge	Thomas	Sgt.	64750	Chevalier	24/10/1919

Note: Sergeant Muggeridge was also awarded the Croix de Guerre as part of this decoration, namely; "Ordre de Leopold II avec Croix de Guerre"

 

Croix de Guerre (Belgian)
Surname	Forename/s	Rank	Number	Gazette Date
Armstrong	Alexander	C.S.M.	64414	04/09/1919
Ashmore	Thomas	L/Cpl.	11075	12/07/1918
Adkins	William	Sgt.	8983	12/07/1918
Becher, D.S.O.	Henry Wrixon	Major (T/Lieut.-Col.)	-	04/09/1919
Bilton, C.M.G.	Lionel Leonard	Lieut.-Col.	-	12/07/1918
Birkinshaw	Douglas	Cpl.	64011	04/09/1919
Brown	Robert	Sgt.	9333	12/07/1918
Byron	Sidney Frank	C.S.M.	9297	12/07/1918
Carpenter, M.M.	Harold Leslie	Sgt.	41788	04/09/1919
Cayley, C.B., C.M.G.	Douglas Edward	Colonel (T/Major General)	-	24/10/1919
Chichester	Walter Raleigh	Lieut.-Col.	-	12/07/1918
Duffield	George Filby	Cpl.	202588	12/07/1918
Farley	Henry James	R.S.M.	5661	12/07/1918
Gabb	Samuel Alwyne	Capt.	-	24/10/1919
Grove	William	Sgt.	12534	04/09/1919
Harding, D.C.M.	Walter	Pte.	41052	12/07/1918
Hartles	Joseph William	Sgt.	240251	12/07/1918
Jeffery	Sydney Josiah	R.Q.M.S.	8980	12/07/1918
Johnson	William	Cpl.	8535	12/07/1918
Jones	Frederick Richard	Pte.	201316	12/07/1918
Kay	Albert Edward	L/Sgt.	19702	12/07/1918
Ladd	Alfred Caldier	T/Major (A/Lieut.-Col.)	-	12/07/1918
Lawley, M.M.	William Henry Frederick	Sgt.	21728	04/09/1919
Leek	William A.	Pte.	40564	24/10/1919
Marryatt	Richard Herbert	Lieut. (A/Major)	-	04/09/1919
Marston	Albert Ernest	Pte.	242026	12/07/1918
Millage	Charles	Sgt.	24056	12/07/1918
Morgan, D.C.M.	David George Llewellyn	R.S.M.	9077	12/07/1918
Muggeridge	Thomas	Sgt.	64750	24/10/1919
Palmer	Frederick	Pte.	200627	12/07/1918
Roberts	William Joseph	C.Q.M.S.	5833	12/07/1918
Sheasby	Charles	Sgt.	8059	04/09/1919
Smith	Hezekiah	Pte.	201571	12/07/1918
Stacke	Henry Fitz Maurice	Capt.	-	16/01/1920
Tyler	Thomas Maurice	Sgt.	12362	12/07/1918
Walker	John Henry	Sgt.	24943	12/07/1918

Notes:
Major (T/Lieut.-Col) H. W. Becher, D.S.O. of the West Riding Regiment was commanding the 17th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment when he received his award.
Lieut. (A/Major) R. H. Marryatt of the 5th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment was attached to the 4th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment when he received his award.

 

Decoration Militaire (Belgian)
Surname	Forename/s	Rank	Number	Gazette Date
Green	Frank	Sgt.	201073	05/04/1919
Leek	William A.	Pte.	40564	24/10/1919

Note: Private W. A. Leek was also awarded the Croix de Guerre as part of this decoration, namely; "Decoration Militaire avec Croix de Guerre"

 

CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO FOREIGN MEDALS MAIN PAGE
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO HOME PAGE